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China may have largest Pacific fleet by 2020: US

Washington: A US congressional advisory panel sounded a warning Wednesday about China’s military buildup, predicting Beijing could possess the largest fleet of modern submarine and combatant ships in the western Pacific by 2020.

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said China’s military modernisation is altering the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region and challenging decades of US pre-eminence.

The commission advises Congress on the national security implications of the relationship between the two world powers.

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The primary recommendation is that Congress fund shipbuilding and increase the Navy’s operational presence region in support of the Defence Department’s goal to base 60 percent of its warships in the Asia-Pacific region by 2020, compared with about 50 percent currently.

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The commission said it welcomes the policy, but added: “There is growing concern among US allies and partners that the Department of Defense will be unable to follow through on its commitment to the rebalance due to declining defence budget and continuing security challenges elsewhere.”

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Representative Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, voiced concern that at a time when the US military faces budget cuts, China’s military spending is increasing and its leaders want to increase combat readiness.

“Its current pace of military modernisation shows that Beijing is developing the ability to project power and influence further abroad,” Congressman McKeon, , told a committee hearing Wednesday.

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The report’s assessment of China’s naval capabilities draws on information from think tanks and US naval intelligence. It said China is known to be building seven classes of vessels, including nuclear and diesel submarines, destroyers and other warships. It expects the naval modernisation to continue for the “forseeable future.”

China’s is also advancing its capabilities in space, which is viewed as critical because of the use of communication satellites for intelligence and modern warfare.

For the first time, there are public indications China may be developing the ability to target satellites at the high altitude used by the US global positioning system and many military and intelligence satellites, according to the report.